The Game
by Flash Foreward
Summary: Criminal Minds Spencer and Garcia's strange bantering, one telling jokes and the other not getting them. Post Natural Born Killer. GarciaReid implied. Chapter two up, now complete. Chapter 2 edited.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Criminal Minds, nor am I in any way shape or form affiliated with it's creators or CBS.

**A/N:** Okay... I don't hate Morgan. I just thought I'd clear that up right now. Idon't see him as an obnoxious person who is mean to Reid, it just fit this story a little bit (Morgan's thoughts are in Itallics). The regular text is Reid, and their may be another chapter to follow with Garcia's thoughts, but we'll see. Also, this story implies a Garcia/Reid relationship, and is post Natural Born Killer.

**The Game**

_He doesn't understand her jokes. It's actually sort of funny to watch. I know I sound cynical, but the way he looks at her when she cracks a few puns is priceless. The confusion in his eyes, and her defeated look when she realizes he doesn't get it. _

_It's almost like a game, at least it looks like one. See which one of them will break first. Will he laugh, or will she stop? Of course, I can't see Garcia not joking around. That's just the way she is. But I can't see Reid laughing, either; at least, not at Garcia's jokes._

_In fact, that's probably what I find the most amusing. The never ending circle of the game. If it is a game._

_"I'll get the popcorn." Another opportunity for a laugh on my part as Garcia and Reid walk away, but Reid's face takes on that confused look. As always. And, suddenly, I don't feel like laughing. I feel like helping him, explaining the punch line._

_Because suddenly, it seems like more than a game._

Occasionally she makes sense. She says something that can actually be understood. I know that she's trying to make me laugh, and I feel bad that I don't. But her jokes don't make sense to me. Maybe someone else would find them amusing, someone like Morgan or Elle, but not me. I listen to her, trying to find the amusement behind the pun, but I just don't get it.

I want to explain it to her, tell her that someday I'll get it. Someday I'll laugh. Because that look of disappointment on her face every time I fail to be amused cuts into me. I can't explain why. I've tried to find a reason for feeling bad, something in my subconscious, but there's nothing there. Just that feeling of anger at myself every time I let her down.

"I'll get the popcorn," she says. I give her a confused look, and her face falls. It was another joke. I wish I could understand it, wish the punch lines weren't so hard. I follow her to her little corner, dreading what we're going to find on the tapes.

And hoping that she'll tell another joke, because someday I'll get it.

_Maybe they're trying to see who will give in first._

"I'll get the popcorn."

_Maybe it's some sort of game._

Just not today.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** I edited this chapter because I messed up Canon...Regular text is Garcia's POV, italics is Elle's.

**Chapter Two**

"Can you get into those records?" Elle asked.

"Despite the fact that they were probably expunged, she can find the faintest echo of deletion, and successfully recreate the file thereby sending us all to prison for computer felony fraud counts," was Reid's semi-sarcastic response.

"We can make bail," Elle replied, rather sternly if you ask me.

I just shook my head. She didn't get the joke. Then again, Reid doesn't usually get my jokes. That's not so bad, I guess, since they are really crappy jokes. But even Morgan laughs at some of them.

I just wanted Spence to laugh. Reid's laugh was something I'd always wanted to hear, mostly because he was so young. I wanted to know that he still had a sense of humor, if he'd even had one as a kid. Then again, maybe it's just my jokes that make him confused. Still, it'd be nice if he'd laugh.

_Reid's jokes aren't funny. They're sarcastic and, well...kind of odd. Maybe he's been hanging around Garcia too much._

_Garcia's a little funny, occasionally. Personally, I think that she tries too hard to get us to laugh. It works on Morgan, but he's a bit of a lady-killer anyway so that's no surprise. It's funny when she tries it on Reid, funny in a pathetic way. He doesn't get it, and she shoots him these looks.  
_

_To be honest, occasionally her jokes don't make sense. I'm pretty sure I get why Morgan laughs at 'em, but not Reid._

He's only in his twenties.

_He's just not gonna get it._

I just want him to laugh.


End file.
